Make Time for This - GSPN's Podcast for Pop Culture and Other Things · GSPN, Blue Wire

Diving deep on Longlegs, and Neon's viral marketing campaign that got viewers into theaters

·1 hr 25 min·8 clips

Longlegs opens with a young girl alone in a snowy house—then Nicolas Cage drops his face into frame, whispering terrifyingly.

This episode of Make Time for This focuses on the horror film *Longlegs*, its director Osgood Perkins, and Neon's marketing campaign. Hosts Adam McGee and Andrew Schneider, film critics for the GSPN network, analyze the movie's success and artistic merits. *Longlegs* has become Neon's highest-grossing film, surpassing *Parasite* with over $80 million at the box office. The hosts detail Neon's cryptic, title-less marketing campaign that began with ciphers and striking imagery around Sundance. They compare it to the guerrilla campaigns for films like *Smile*, which used actors in public venues. Osgood Perkins is the son of Anthony Perkins and has directed films like *The Blackcoat's Daughter* and *I'm the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House*. His next project for Neon is *The Monkey*, a Stephen King adaptation. The film stars Maika Monroe as an FBI agent and Nicolas Cage as the villain, with a supporting performance from Blair Underwood. Perkins' directing approach is described as "camera first," prioritizing visual storytelling and atmosphere over conventional screenplay structure. One memorable scene involves a young Lee Harker encountering a man who drops his face into the frame, providing the film's title card. The hosts note the film uses wide shots and empty space to build dread rather than relying on standard jump scares. A scene where Monroe and Underwood investigate a snowy barn creates anxiety through slow pans and reveals a creepy doll. Perkins has stated the film is, at its core, a story about a mother keeping a secret to protect her child. This connects to Perkins' own upbringing as the son of Anthony Perkins, who was privately gay in Hollywood, adding a layer of personal subtext about family and protection. The tone is conversational and analytical, blending film criticism with personal viewing experiences. The style is educational, dissecting directorial techniques and marketing strategies without spoiling major plot twists. Horror fans and students of filmmaking would appreciate this deep dive into atmospheric storytelling and effective marketing. Listeners seeking only plot summaries or those sensitive to horror film analysis might prefer to skip.

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